"[Moonves and CBS entertainment
chairman Nina Tassler] called me in and sat me down and asked if
['Late Show'] was
something I'd be interested in doing ... In that instance, I felt
like I knew what my skillsets were and I kind of knew what it is
that I wanted to do after ['How I Met Your
Mother'] … so I was surprised
he pitched me that idea ... I think I would get bored of the repetition
fast, and the structure of it is so set. I don't have any
interest in doing monologue, commercial, sketch, guest, guest,
guest, musical act, good night."

Instead of a late-night show in
the 11:30 p.m. or 12:30 a.m.
slot, NPH says he wants a variety show.

"I liked this weekly variety
thing," he told Stern. "I think if it's weekly, and people really
want to see it, and you trust that there's a lot of really great
shit on there, then you're gonna get the guests to want to come
on there — a weekly thing you'd have more time to prep for stuff,
you could pre-tape stuff that would be really exciting, you could
flesh it out more."